Forget Me Not
by kysunsang
Summary: The only girl Shinji cared for...had the most enchanting blue eyes. Eyes that he would never forget, and haunt him for the rest of his life. COMPLETE. Ikarishipping, ShinjixHikari, DawnxPaul.
1. Flowering Romance

A drabble idea that turned into a full-fledged fanfic

A drabble idea that turned into a full-fledged fanfic. I wanted a oneshot, but I'll make additional ch's (I think three or four in total) to make the flower theme more fitting. Wow, I'm insane…with Ikarishipping AND Wikipedia…Anyway, have fun with this one.

**Warning: **Corniness, Extreme sap. I think.

As always, disclaimer is implied.

**Forget Me Not**

"_Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted 'Forget-me-not'. This is a flower connected with romance and tragic fate. It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love." – A Wikipedia Article_

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-Chapter 1: Flowering Romance-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'**_

"Gimme your shovel Kenny, I wanna make a pretty castle," a girl's grubby hand tried to take the coveted toy from her friend.

"Nah, get yer own Pikari," the boy managed to get it away from her reach and then resumed his sloppy digging. "I'm making a tunnel allaway to Kanto!"

Five-year-old Hikari pouted indignantly at Kengo. Even best friends were a pain in the neck. The humid weather did not help much with the situation: her yellow dress was streaked with sand and dirt, and her navy-blue hair was dusty. In the Veilstone Playground – their parents had gone on a shopping spree while leaving their children to play – the sandbox was littered with half-made tunnels and other childish inventions.

Resignedly, the girl finally grabbed a nearby plastic bucket, and began to scoop sand with her hands. She was halfway done with filling the container when she heard Kengo shout.

"HEY! WHY'D YA KICK SAND AT ME FOR?!"

In alarm, Hikari looked back to see a slightly older boy run away. Meanwhile, Kengo was trying to rub the dust from his eyes, stinging tears making his face even messier. Although she had been irritated at him earlier, Hikari could not stand her friend being hurt in any way. So she stood up, roughly dusted herself from the grit, and began to chase after the culprit.

The boy was fast, but Hikari felt herself gaining ground.

"Come here mister! Why'da do-"

They already had passed the playground and had come to a patch of trees when Hikari tripped. Spluttering from the leaves and other litter on the ground, she tried to get up. But pain shot through Hikari, making her fall again: she had twisted her ankle. Again she tried to stand…

"Don't."

Hikari looked up. It was the boy she had seen earlier, the one who had made Kengo cry. His face was slightly obscured by dark lavender bangs, but she saw a good part of his cruel face. Black shirt with matching slacks made his seven-year-old frame even more intimidating. Frowning as fiercely as she could, Hikari tried to act tough by standing, only to collapse from the pain. Unwanted tears ran down her face from the frustration.

As she did so, the boy's expression softened. He knelt down, rummaged through his pockets for a wrinkled tissue, and held it out to the girl.

"Here."

A few minutes of sniffling and hiccuping, Hikari calmed down. She soon found herself leaning her back on a tree while the boy sat Indian-style in front of her. Realizing how close he was, she blushed a little and handed the filthy remains of the napkin to him.

"Thank you…"

"…" He took the tissue back silently.

The two enjoyed a moment in the shade before they looked at each other again.

"Why didja kick Kenny?" Hikari asked suddenly, her face again turning angry. "Huh, why?"

The boy shrugged, "He was mean to ya. I wanted ter help."

Hikari stared. Kengo just didn't want to give her a shovel! "But you didn' havta do that…"

"Whatja want me to do then?" the boy retorted back.

But instead of scowling, he seemed to be spacing out…or was he staring at her?

"Well…" Hikari tried to think.

But before she could formulate a good answer, the boy walked away for a bit. Hikari was still trying to think when he returned.

"Gah you're mean! I can't think of anythin'!" Hikari whined, throwing her arms in frustration; the boy just sat in the same position again, right in front of her.

"Whateva," the boy shrugged and flicked stray purple bangs from his face; then he looked around before settling his eyes back on the girl. "Hm…I guess ya gotta get back…"

Hikari started; Of course, her mother would be coming anytime soon! In panic, she tried getting up, but she cried again from the injury. But instead of falling flat on the ground, two arms supported her firmly. Confused, she looked up to the stoic face of the same boy.

"Uhhh…thanks?"

"Hmph."

They managed to get out of the forested area and to the playground again. It took the two a while, but Hikari found herself being less dependent on the boy as they took each step toward their destination. When they neared the sandbox area, where Kengo was still too occupied to be aware of his surroundings, Hikari tried to wriggle out of the boy's grasps.

"I can walk now…um, can you leggo of me?" Hikari asked awkwardly; she had reveled a bit from the contact she had with the boy, but the thought of Kengo seeing her in that position embarrassed her. "My leg feels betta now."

"Fine. Make sure you can stand first…" the boy let go, and Hikari stood somewhat shakily.

"See, mister, I can!" she beamed, but frowned again in deep thought. "Uhh...what is your name?"

"Shinny…my mom calls me that," he shrugged; he didn't feel like disclosing his real name. "It's a stupid name..."

"Oh. It's notta bad name…well, okay Shinny. Thanks!" Hikari brightened up again.

"Whateva. And uh…what's your name?"

"Hikari! Kenny calls me Pikari tho…"

"Hm." Shinny said somewhat annoyingly at the mention of her friend. "Alright…oh wait!"

Suddenly Shinny thrust a bunch of blue blossoms onto Hikari's hands. They were a bit crushed from being in the boy's pockets for too long, but their colors were still intact.

The blue matched the girl's widened eyes.

"Somethin' I thou' you'd like," Shinny muttered before running off; despite his attempt to hide a childish blush, Hikari noticed and smiled.

"Buhbye, Shinny!" she waved to the quickly disappearing figure.

She soon stumbled to reunite with her old friend, carrying her precious gift.

--_**Few years later**_--

"Why, aren't going to watch me?!" a gloved hand curled up into a dangerous fist...

"STOP FIGHTING!"

"Pika pi!!"

A girl and a pikachu suddenly ran between the two fighting in the Oreburgh Gym. Her friend Satoshi somehow managed to get into so many of these brawls, and Hikari was honestly fed up with his ridiculous ability to pick up trouble.

"Can't you take it out somewhere else??" Hikari said to the two, and turned around to see the person Satoshi was fighting: Shinji.

Although she had seen the rival a couple of times since Satoshi's first clash with the strange boy, Hikari could not help but feel strange towards this trainer. The shorn, purple hair…the fierce eyes…they looked so familiar…

Now seeing him up close, Hikari froze. She felt like she had seen him…in a dream…in a faraway memory…

"…and who are you?" Shinji asked irritably.

Something inside her snapped. Hikari stood up defiantly, and shouted literally in his face:

"Well, EXCUSE ME, my name is HIKARI."

For a brief moment, Shinji looked startled, but his generic indifferent face quickly replaced it.

"Sorry, never heard of you."

The moment of silence afterward was quiet enough to hear a pin drop. Then came the explosion.

"WELL YOU THINK YOU'RE FUNNY? WHY I OUGHT TO-!!"

Hikari's fury suddenly took over. She wanted to gouge Shinji's eyes out when Takeshi, the mature one, interfered and said a thousand apologies on Hikari's behalf. Shinji merely shrugged. Ignoring most of her angry shouts, he decided replying to Satoshi may be a better option.

"Well, how can I refuse your offer of staying here to watch?" Shinji finally answered sarcastically, and left.

"I better see something worthwhile, Satoshi," the trainer muttered as he went past; a swish from the gym's automatic doors indicated his leave.

"Why that…" Satoshi grumbled and headed out as well. "…Jerk."

Hikari certainly agreed.

--_**Meanwhile**_--

A small patch of blue blossoms swayed in the breeze as Shinji walked towards it. He was amazed at how the flowers managed to grow so close to Oreburgh – such rocky terrain was not an ideal place for many plants to grow.

Yet, this one had managed.

Shinji slowly knelt down to take a closer look at the cluster of flowers. His hands brushed them idly, and he thought back to his naive, early days…specifically the incident in a sandbox, the running, and the girl.

The girl…

Five years had gone by since he came back to Sinnoh, and he found himself greeting the past. Of course things had changed, but some…they always managed to be constant.

Not that Shinji minded, much.

The forget-me-nots felt cool to the touch. The color of the delicate blue petals still resembled the eyes of the first girl he truly cared for.

"Heh, I lied to you Hikari…I do remember you."

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-TBC-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_  
Like it? Hate it? Please post a comment/review and give me cookies...please?


	2. Tragic Fate

Wow, thank you for your comments! I never expected a sappy flower-themed fanfic to be liked that much…I'm quite flattered! Well, this is the second chapter out of the trio/quartet I am planning to write. Enjoy!

**Warning: **Character death, some graphic scenes, Extreme sap. At least one of them is featured in this chapter.

Disclaimer, as always, is implied.

**Forget Me Not**

"_Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted 'Forget-me-not'. This is a flower connected with romance and tragic fate. It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love." – A Wikipedia Article_

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-Chapter 2: Tragic Fate-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_

Spear Pillar was a flurry of Team Galaxy activity. Various grunts ran around among bribed scientists, who were all eager to avoid the commanders' wrath and to bring the Team's plans into completion. But only three people stayed near its base, where the altar for Dialga and Parukia was located.

Two were bound by mysterious, red chains on a nearby pillar; the third was pacing quietly around them, with his cold eyes glancing alternately at his prisoners and at Team Galactic's work.

"I must say, you brats are the strangest pair to ever trespass here," Akagi said finally, turning around to face them again. "Also, I'm more surprised to see…"

Hands roughly grasped the male captive's chin and forced him to look up. "...you."

Shinji merely glared defiantly, his trademark scowl deepening as Akagi's smirk grew. Soon the commander let go of Shinji, who quickly glanced at the barely conscious figure tied next to him – Hikari. The paleness of her face indicated that she was not in a good condition.

"It was really my fault…" Shinji thought to himself.

He had been determined to see and perhaps battle with the Legendary Pokemon he had heard of in his childhood. After traveling through various regions – Kanto, Johto, Hoenn – he was confident that his party would be a decent challenge for them.

But he soon met with trouble, actually two: Satoshi & Co. and Team Galaxy. The former was not a threat; he was more irritated by their presence…but the latter was a different story. The Grunts were pathetically easy to defeat. He, with Satoshi and his friends, had knocked out many of them…until the Commanders took over.

At that instant, everything was a blur. Somebody, probably one of the Commanders, had unleashed an Earthquake attack that caused the group to split: Hikari was separated from her usual clique and ended up falling into the abyss with Shinji.

Usually, the boy was quite adept at escaping such disasters – training in Veilstone had helped – but it was too dark, too deep, and too sudden. Instinct took over, and he had grabbed one of Hikari's flailing hands, tried to shield Hikari from the falling debris, and hold her close…but a stray rock had hit him squarely in the back, knocking him unconscious…

When he came to, he was staring right at two pairs of white boots, and he heard voices…

"_Heh, looky here…we got some of the crazy kids who tried to mess with us…wanna kick them around for fun?"_

"_Hm…nah. I think it's better to report them to the Commander…you know, that boy is pretty tough. Perhaps-"_

"_Okay, fine. And how 'bout that girl?"_

A not-so-clean chuckle rang throughout the hall. Shinji wanted to kill the two who were ridiculing him and Hikari…but his arms were too weak…leaden…

"_Eh, she seems weak. Whatever. We'll drag her along. Commander __Akagi knows how to deal with weakling better'n we do. Besides, we might get a promotion for finding some of the brats who caused us trouble_

"_Right."_

Shinji soon felt himself being lifted and dragged somewhere…in the distance he had heard Hikari crying out from some unknown injury as she was also carried away…

Suddenly thinking of Hikari's sufferings, Shinji began to feel anger coursing through him.

"Why, because you're just so happy to see me?" the boy said quietly, hiding his utmost hatred from his captor. "You could've killed us when we happened to 'stumble' upon your ridiculous plans-"

"And why would I?" Akagi replied coolly. "I've observed your performance in battle, and it would be a waste to end your life…maybe."

Akagi suddenly snapped his fingers; Shinji soon felt the chains binding him fade. But as he stood up, red cuffs materialized from his wrists.

Foolishly, Shinji was not aware of this and had tried to strike Akagi – an extremely uncharacteristic behavior in Shinji's part. But the cuffs caused him to fall down; His body racked in pain, the boy fell unto his knees. Although physically different from the red chains, both had similar properties: whenever Shinji tried to move too quickly, a jolt of pain coursed through his body.

"Fool," Akagi spat in disdain. "Do you think I would have let you off that easily? These binds may not be as strong as those for Parukia and Dialga…but I am glad the weaker version is suitable for human victims."

It took Shinji a moment to get over the initial shock. Then standing somewhat unsteadily, the trainer again glared at the smug commander.

"I take that you want to know why I just gave a little more locomotive freedom," Akagi said carelessly. "Isn't that right, boy?"

Akagi ignored the defiant silence and resumed talking, turning his back to gaze at the setting sun.

"I've heard many rumors about you, Shinji. You are well known for your battling prowess, ruthlessness...all admirable qualities. Although your altruistic motives have distorted your mind …" he gestured in Hikari's direction, "You and I know you are capable of greater power…"

Shinji's body tensed slightly at this statement, expecting the worst. His anger was still there, but he kept his cool as his hands slowly hovered over his Pokeballs…

"…and I believe you will greatly benefit by joining our ranks."

Shinji froze. Join an organization that wanted to destroy humanity for selfish purposes?

Akagi sensed the surprise in the teenage boy and turned around; his smirk seemed eerier than ever.

"Do not gawk at me like that, boy. I know your ways. You think I am cruel? I know how you treat your Pokemon…your methods and mine nearly match. You are _meant_ to be with us…"

"I'm sorry, but I do not agree with your little philosophy," Shinji replied back, ice clearly evident in his voice. "And I don't think our Pokemon are treated the same, for that matter."

"You only think that, _Shinji,_" Akagi retorted, clearly addressing the boy in a mocking tone. "It's not hard to figure you out. You want to be the best Pokemon trainer? You need to harness more power…crush your enemies. And as soon as Team Galactic controls space and time…"

He suddenly motioned toward the skies and the great Pokemon altar.

"…your wishes can be fulfilled. Are you still refusing my offer?"

Shinji did not even consider it; instinct already told him Akagi was evil and extremely un-trustworthy. But the boy decided to play along.

"So…what if I do want to join? What is the price?" Shinji inquired, his usually indifferent demeanor returning to his face.

"Ah, now that seems to be the answer I was looking for," Akagi gave a twisted smile and placed his hand firmly on Shinji's shoulders. "Well…"

Akagi turned Shinji around, causing the two to face Hikari's weak, bound form. Shinji tensed again; the commander was up to no good…

"…I want you to destroy the 'human' part of yourself. Start with the girl."

Shinji inwardly felt sick, but made an effort to suppress his disgust.

"I do not understand."

"It's a simple task, boy…Kill her."

As Shinji felt Akagi's hands leave his shoulder, he felt dizzy. Kill? Humiliating and crushing rivals were easy. But taking a life…

The trainer took a step toward Hikari. She now seemed to be more aware, her eyes fearfully looking around her surroundings…

Shinji took another step. Then another. And another.

His impending doom felt like an eternity.

"Go on." Akagi's voice was distant, echoing, pressing.

Hikari groggily looked up, saw Shinji's tortured face, and her face began to whiten…

"Shinji..?"

Now two steps away from the girl, Shinji stopped. His face was obscured by his lavender bangs, making his face harder to interpret…

Then Akagi's voice pressed on him like a death sentence.

"Do it."

A second passed. Then two.

"Weavile, faint attack."

Suddenly the Pokeball that Shinji had managed to hide in his fist opened, bringing forth an sharp claw Pokemon that was too happy to save his trainer. It leaped quickly into the air and toward Akagi, its claws ready to tear…

But Akagi did not seem to notice. He briefly made a gesture with his left arm, and uttered a simple phrase:

"Air cutter, Crobat."

Faster than lightening, the purple bat Pokemon collided into Weavile, instantly knocking the Sharp Claw Pokemon out. The flying attack was too powerful for Shinji's monster.

Shinji, who had turned around from Hikari, gasped: how did that man know that he was planning to attack?

Meanwhile, the Crobat hovered around its master, pleased with its job. Akagi, though, did not care for it. His fury was clear in his face, and he was ready to kill.

"You disappoint me, Shinji," Akagi said dangerously. "To think that I thought…"

Akagi's hand curled into a fist. Suddenly Shinji felt blinding pain in his chest, which again submitted him to the ground…but this time, the shocks were too powerful for him to even stand up…

Somewhere, he heard Hikari scream…

"…that you would trust me. Pity."

The commander's fist loosened, and the red cuffs stopped hurting Shinji. The trainer now was on his hands and knees, breathing heavily…

But the trainer soon felt cold hands grab his shirt, and Shinji soon came face-to-face with the man he completely despised.

Shinji growled in frustration, but it did nothing to help the situation.

Akagi just smirked.

"I feel sorry for you, boy. Too bad. But you have seen too much," the commander sighed as he let go of Shinji; the boy fell on his knees.

Then Akagi nodded once to his Crobat, which suddenly poised for an attack.

"Cross Poison. Make sure you do the job right."

The attack came fast. Claws dripping with toxin, Crobat easily tore the front of Shinji's shirt, also grazing the boy's skin to ensure direct contact of the poison. The cut was not fatal, but deep enough to draw blood…

Hikari, seeing all this, was too shocked even to cry.

Shinji collapsed from the resulting X-shaped attack. He felt his breathing quicken, and his vision slowly blur…

"Crobat can secrete extremely fatal neurotoxin to catch prey," Akagi said indifferently. "Unless you get an antidote within thirty minutes you will die a slow, painful death…"

Akagi then tossed his Pokeball. With a flash of light, Crobat went inside, and the commander deftly caught the ball.

"…it was nice to meet you, Shinji."

He began to walk away...

"YOU MONSTER!"

Akagi turned around, and saw Hikari's face now contort in anger.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO HIM?!"

"I…a monster," Akagi repeated slowly, danger dripping with every syllable. "Really?"

He slowly advanced to the girl, who seemed a bit intimidated by the Team Galactic leader. But the fury was still clear in her eyes.

"So, my dear. How should I get rid of you..."

"COMMANDER, SIR!"

Akagi turned around, and saw Commander Mars and Saturn approach him.

"What is it," Akagi murmured, clearly irritated.

"Sir," Mars replied curtly. "The Sinnoh Pokemon Trinity has been sighted on the Three Lakes. We must act quickly to harness their power to forge the chains to capture-"

"-the Masters of Space and Time," Saturn finished the statement smoothly.

The highest-ranked commander nodded; he could deal with the other brat later…she would not survive too long in Spear Pillar alone, now that the boy was dying.

"I understand, commanders," Akagi replied in his usual cold manner; then he snapped his fingers.

"Team! Move out!"

Suddenly in a flash of light, Hikari saw the whole Team Galactic disappear. She looked around quickly in confusion: where did everyone go?

She also realized the mysterious red chains and cuffs had disappeared as well. Usually she would have wondered how they had been gone, but she was too worried to question its sudden disappearance. Instead, Hikari ran to Shinji's side. Sobbing at his sad state, she gently cradled the boy's head in her arms.

"Shinji…please…look at me," Hikari begged.

Within his slowly fading mind, Shinji heard Hikari's voice. With the greatest mental effort he could muster, the boy tried to focus his eyes…

He soon saw the clearest blue eyes gazing at him with utmost concern and sadness, the most tragic sight that he had ever seen.

"Hi…kar…i?" a strange voice, apparently his own, slowly murmured her name.

This seemed to trigger another waterworks from Hikari, as fresh tears welled in her blue eyes while blubbering ineffective apologies.

"Oh, oh…Shinji, I'm so sorry that I couldn- Oh! I just-" her tears obscured whatever outbursts of guilt Hikari had.

Shinji then wanted to say that it was nothing, that she would not have been able to help…to just hold her hand, comfort…do a million things other than lie numbly in the ground, just to relieve Hikari pain…

But only thing he did was lift his arm…slowly…painfully. Although his chest felt numb and a burning sensation was slowly invading his heart, he managed to cup Hikari's tear-soaked face, and managed a faint smile.

"Something to remember me by before I die…" the boy thought, somemwhat surprised at his lack of fear.

He was not afraid of his death…he had panicked in his mind as soon as the Crobat hit him, but now…

Shinji was only glad that he was able to be close to someone he cared before he died.

His light...hikari..._Hikari_...

He would see both of them soon.

"Hikari…" a voice barely above a whisper murmured. "Please…"

Hikari suddenly sensed Shinji's soft voice, and intently stared at the boy.

"What…is it?"

"I…"

Suddenly his face went slack; the hand that touched Hikari's cheek slipped slowly away, and Shinji's eyes turned dull.

Silence.

Quietly, Hikari respectfully shut his lifeless eyes.

The unsaid two words…Hikari knew.

--**Hours Afterwards**--

The battle had begun.

After Shinji died, Hikari quickly signaled to the others for help; using Shinji's Murkrow, she alerted the activity of Team Galactic and her situation in Spear Pillar to Satoshi & Co., along with Champion Shirona, who had been traveling with the gang in Mt. Coronet to find the lost ones. Hikari and Shinji were soon rescued by Shirona's Garchomp, while Satoshi and others split up to foil Team Galactic's plans.

While others were fighting to save humankind, Hikari, Shinji' body, and the Pokemon were to stay safe in a hospital; Shirona made sure of that. Shinji's body was taken there as well.

"B-But, Shirona-sama!"

"Hikari," Shirona said firmly. "You are in no condition to battle. You know this…"

She gave a stern look; Hikari merely looked down, saddened by Shirona's refusal.

"Still…"

"No. I may not be your mother…but I know you need your injuries treated. Besides…I believe your friend needs company."

Hikari suddenly remembered and became silent: Of course, the body…

"Oh, and…Hikari?" Shirona had turned to leave, but the Champion came back as if she had forgotten something. "I think…this is yours."

Shirona handed the young trainer a wallet. Hikari was confused; she didn't carry such things! But before the girl could say anything, the Sinnoh Champion was gone.

Still a bit dazed, Hikari opened it. A few Pokemon yens, random scraps of paper receipts…

At one of the pockets in the wallet, lay a small magazine clipping. Hikari instantly recognized it from the text at one side that it was a well-known Sinnoh Coordinator's Magazine…the stuff her mom subscribed to. But on the other side…

Hikari saw a picture of herself in a Coordinating Contest dress, smiling broadly with Pochama on her shoulder. She suddenly remembered the Floraroma Conference, where she made a decent debut…and how a minor reporter wrote an article about Hikari, promising Coordinator and the daughter of the famous Coordinator Ayako.

"Strange…" Hikari mused. "Who would've-"

Suddenly Hikari froze.

Right behind the magazine photo – the girl had taken the clipping off the wallet pocket to see what other stuff was inside – she saw Shinji's Photo ID.

"Shinji's wallet?!" Hikari gasped; suddenly she fell into tears, dropping the wallet.

The object beside the photo ID surprised and pained her the most.

Dried up and broken, a pressed forget-me-not flower reflected Hikari's tearful eyes.

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-TBC-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_  
I'm so going to be shot for this ch. (Run away! run away!)

OMG, I felt like I made Shinji sound so OOC...I tried fixing a lot of the convo so he wouldn't...but it still feels bad. Anyway, PLEASE comment! The motivation to write this fic (instead of studying) is the comments and fedback. Yea...thanks! Also, I may write more cutsey Ikarishipping fics in the future. Stay tuned!

…a few notes and stuff before I get mobbed by angry Ikarishippers! D:

Red chain/cuffs: The chain part is similar to those used when Team Galactic in the game uses it to summon Parukia or Dialga. The cuffs are more from the Pokemon manga…I ripped the idea off from Lorelei's evil ice cuffs of doom. Minus the voodoo doll stuff, of course.

Akagi aka Cyrus: You know, he really seems like the evil guy that I depicted him as…although the D/P games really messed him up…I hope I did some justice with his badass personality.

Weavile: Originally it was Monferno. But Shinji releases chimchar so I improvised.

Crobat: I made the toxin part up...and in real life, no bats have poison glands (Thankfully).

Hikari: I tried to emphasize death ("light at the end of the tunnel") and Hikari (the character) when I wrote that word twice.

Team Galatic's Flashy Disappearance: I just ripped this off from the D/P game feature…you know how the whole Team Galactic just "poofs" out conveniently after you defeat them? Well, I decided to use their magical teleporting powers to good use x3

Ayako: Hikari/Dawn's mom. Pretty self-expanatory.


	3. Faithfulness

Hm, I guess that last ch was a shocker…so many people are bugging me about how Hikari'd do now that he's dead…

Hm, I guess that last ch was a shocker…so many people are bugging me about how Hikari'd do now that he's dead…

Well, this is the explanation behind my writing this fanfic...basically they are blurbs about Hikari and how Shinji entered (and recently left) her life. What I first thought of Ikarishipping was that if the anime plans to make it canon – most likely indirectly if that were the case – their interaction would be extremely subtle. That's why I thought a tragedy would fit so well…Hikari may admit her feelings, but Shinji probably won't unless his life depended on it…or in my fanfic's case, when he's dying.

So now for the Forget-Me-Not theme…first I thought the first chapter would be sufficient to show how the flower fit Shinji's "remembrance." Then I stumbled on the wiki article and hey, I realized I had more to write. If you read the excerpt I posted carefully, there are four parts: romance, tragic fate, faithfulness, and enduring love. I first decided three out of the four would be good…but hey, more Ikarishipping ch fun!

Hm, three out of four chapters done. Enjoy! Oh btw, I have been fine-tuning the previous chapters so the fic flows nicely…if you'd noticed.

**Warning: **Extreme sap…some references to Pokeshipping and whatever shipping between Nozomi and Kengo is called. That's all for now.

**Forget Me Not**

"_Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted 'Forget-me-not'. This is a flower connected with romance and tragic fate. It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love." – A Wikipedia Article_

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-Chapter 3: Faithfulness-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_  
Despite the weather, Floaroma Town always smelled like spring.

Hikari inhaled the honey-sweet riot of scents that soothed and welcomed her. She was older, more relaxed, and definitely more knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the Sinnoh Region. It was supposed to be fall, but most of the trees and plants had retained their leaves and flowers.

A playful breeze lingered around Hikari's bangs, making them sway with the lonely branches above her. She wore a white blouse with a knee-length beige skirt – Hikari was embarrassed by the fact that she wore skimpier clothe in her adventure crazy days – and a downy parka protected her from the cool weather. The only garment that had been from her original outfit was the scarf, with still had its place around her neck.

Flowers grew in abundance. Fall flowers such as chrysanthemum, marigold, and dusty miller offered a golden variety of color that both excited and delighted visitors and residents alike.

Appreciating the sights before her, Hikari slowly walked…and began to muse over the past. When she first came here, Hikari had only been giddy for the Contest that had been held in this very place. But now, she found time to admire other features of the town.

Traveling had given her invaluable experience. Wandering all over with Satoshi was cumbersome but fun. Contests used to be emotionally draining, but now it was slightly stressful. Her Pokemon were stronger and more graceful. She even earned a decent amount of respect from her Coordinating peers and fans.

Also, now that Satoshi had his fill with the Sinnoh League and Battle Tower matches, he had gone back with Takeshi to visit his home in Kanto.

"How long has it been…" Hikari murmured to herself quietly.

She remembered the day before Satoshi left for Kanto clearly. He was also happy to go back, and so sad to leave the region. But he knew that other friends from his hometown missed him…and Satoshi did feel like revisiting them as well.

The trio had waited for the ship in Sandgem Town's cozy little port. They did not do anything in particular…other than say a few farewells and talk.

"_Man, I can't wait to see my mom, Prof. Oak, Kenji…there's so many people that I cannot list!" Satoshi exclaimed somewhat happily as he absentmindedly stroked Pikachu's ears. "Maybe Shigeru too…"_

"_Pii…" Pikachu sighed, agreeing with the trainer._

"_Well, same here," Takeshi commented; he took a moment to get a stray wisp of hair poking at his slanted eyes. "And I wonder if the Nurse Joy in Kanto misses me…"_

_A burst of laughter. The gang knew Takeshi was half-joking._

"_Hm, it was really nice of you guys to help me out in the contests and all…"Hikari slowly said after the joke's effects wore off. "I guess I learned a lot from you guys…Thanks!"_

_Satoshi looked at her, and showed Hikari his trademark smile. _

"_No prob! It's what I do best…or so it seems," he chuckled. "You're not the only one who said that do me ya know!"_

"_Really?"_

_Satoshi nodded, and then put his hands behind his head and gazed out in the horizon_

"_Well, there was Haruka, who's sorta like you. She had problems, but it worked out in the end…and- Oh! I forgot another person I can't wait to see!"_

_The sudden topic switch left Hikari slightly confused. But knowing Satoshi, she decided to go along._

"_Who?"_

"_Kasumi…damn, it's been so long since I've seen her face," Satoshi said somewhat dreamily._

_Hikari soon remembered; she was the girl from Satoshi's fishing lure! She first believed that little object was a little odd for a boy to have, but never gave it much thought…_

"_Oh…really?" Hikari inquired._

_Silence. Meanwhile, Takeshi was now nodding off and hardly listening._

"_Oh yea…I told you some of the adventures I had when I started out as a Pokemon trainer, right? Thick and thin, she was there…very much like you I guess…but-"_

"_Hm?" Hikari was half-listening._

"_She's…special. Past her hot temper and fire, she's really nice. She cares…worries…for me. A lot."_

"_So…you love her?"_

_Another silence._

"…_guess you can say that. It's a nice feeling, to be…loved, I guess…" Satoshi shrugged and looked sideways, away from Hikari._

_Despite that action, the girl caught him redden slightly._

"_How does it…feel?" she asked somewhat tentatively._

_There were few minutes of introspection on Satoshi's part before a reply came._

"_I don't know…it's a warm feeling, but not uncomfortable. And when I miss her…all the memories we shared…cherished…loved…" Satoshi sort of stumbled over the word love as he spoke, "…and it's pretty sweet. I guess- hey! What's wrong?"_

_Satoshi stood up in alarm to see Hikari become teary eyed. Strange thoughts locked away for so long…the emotions…it all had come back._

"_Hikari! I'm talking to you!" Satoshi make her face him._

"_Oh…" Hikari managed to choke down other sobs. "It's…it's…"_

_Satoshi gave an inquiring look_

"_What?"_

_Hikari stayed quiet to recompose herself. Then absentmindedly pushing Satoshi's hands off her, she gazed on to the horizon, where the sun was setting. _

"_It's nothing, Satoshi. Nothing," Hikari replied finally, still looking at the sky._

_The sun had now almost sunken beneath the ocean, its rays creating a brilliant purple sky._

_Purple…the color of someone's hair…how long had it been since she last saw them? Felt them?_

_It had been a very long time…_

While mulling over this, Hikari found herself in front of the Floarama Flower shop. Despite the seasons, all kinds of plants thrived in the small store; a perfect place to buy exotics, un-seasonal annuals/perennials, and more.

She opened the glass doors, and came into the flowery haven.

Ever since her adventure in Mt. Coronet, she found herself frequenting here…very often.

"Ohayo! Hikari-san!" a tomboy voice chirped out.

"Nice to see ya…sup?" a lower male voice also called.

Hikari soon turned around to see her two good friends, who she had planned to meet with this evening. They all wanted to buy flowers for their personal special occasions, and no place was as good as the florist's shop in Floaroma.

"Hey guys!" Hikari replied happily enough; she walked over to where the pair was standing, near a display of freshly-cut purple lilacs.

Hikari gave Kengo a hi-five. Then Nozomi came to give the girl a hug and a quick peck in the cheek, their usual greeting.

"Wow, you guys came earlier than I did! What's the occasion?" Hikari asked.

"Well…" Nozomi replied. "Kengo wanted to know why you were so obsessed with coming here…"

"…and because well, I need some last-minute gifts," Kengo cut her off, somewhat sheepishly.

A raising of an eyebrow. Hikari looked at her old friend curiously.

"Hm?"

"Um…y-y-you know," Kengo started to stammer. "I-I-…"

"Gee," Nozomi gave Kengo a somewhat affectionate slap on the back. "We're dating. And Kengo the lame one decided to be slightly cheap on me by buying flowers."

Then the tomboy laughed.

"But I do have a weakness for flowers. Damn, he knows me."

Hikari laughed as well; the two always lifted her spirits. Still…

"Oh okay."

A weak smile graced Hikari's face. As if to forget the past few lines of the conversation, she finally pretended to take interest in a nearby pot of geraniums. The girl wanted to buy plants after all, not be interested in listening about a growing relationship.

"Hey Nozomi, do you think these are pretty?"

--**Elsewhere**--

The same wind seemed to play with Hikari hair once more. She was outside again, after having a good time choosing and buying what she wanted.

Now that she really far off from Floaroma, Hikari missed having the sweet scents linger in her nose…her skin. Other smells, such as fallen leaves, permeated her senses. Her feet pattered on a small dirt road, raising puffs of dust as she moved along.

This habit was now a ritual, since she kept visiting here so frequently.

Pat. Pat. Pat. Pat. Patter.

After her last step, she came to a dead end. But that came as no surprise…

After all, it was a cemetery. And she had gone on one of the paths that lead to specific, special resting places.

A very special place, now that Hikari thought of it.

She stood in front of a simple patch of grass, a simple stone. Etched with a name Hikari vowed never to utter to anyone else, and admit to anyone else.

Shinji…

Quietly, she bent down to see the same pillar that marked his name, his date of birth and death, and an epitaph chosen by an unknown mourner:

As we look deeply within, we understand our perfect balance.  
There is no fear of the cycle of birth, life and death.  
For when you stand in the present moment, you are timeless.

Timeless…

Always, time seemed to stand still in this quiet place. A few visitors came and went, leaving their blessings and speeches for the sleeping ones. Sometimes…just to revive the fragment of the departed memories.

Not surprisingly, Hikari always secretly came here to think. Sometimes she talked to the grave as if it had something to say – it obviously never did – and this always made her feel slightly better…but not by much.

She rather would have preferred to feel his touch again…rare as they were in the past.

"Spear Pillar…" Hikari suddenly murmured as tears welled up in her eyes…

But they never fell. She promised herself to be stronger, and lock her sorrows inside her heart.

He would always be inside her, despite everything.

"Well, I'm sorry I was late. Friends. Talking. Heh…" Hikari smiled slightly. "I don't know, I wish you would see how nice Sinnoh has become…"

Emotions, raw and unhindered, flowed as she talked on.

"Team Galactic disappeared for good I think…no troubles from them…although I wished Akagi were dead…I know it's a bad thought but you know. Heh…you'd have liked the battles with them after. I didn't do much fighting…just…comforted others and supported the injured. Yea…"

A silence.

"Your Pokemon took your loss hard…they live in Rowan's lab now…but Satoshi, Takeshi and I took good care of them and occasionally use them…" Hikari laughed a little. "Anyway, they miss you a lot. I guess you did care for your Pokemon…"

Another silence.

"And all along…y-you…c-c-cared…for me…I never knew…you remembered…that wallet S-Shirona gave…oh! Oh!"

Hikari now stood up. She had stopped talking, fighting against tears again as her mind burned with sadness. It took a while for these emotions to cool over and recede.

Now she took a bundle she had carried quietly to the grave. It was a plastic bag containing a bouquet of different flowers, all different and chosen especially by Nozomi and Kengo.

Hikari thought for a moment; she was so glad to have such caring friends…

"_Globe amaranths for unfading love, yellow jasmine for grace…and hm…lavender for purity," Kengo muttered as he selected various flowers to add to his basket._

"_Well, you certainly know a lot about flower symbolism," Nozomi commented, fascinated. "I never struck you as that kind of a romantic."_

_Kengo blushed, obviously flattered._

"_Well, I trained here a lot, and befriended that old guy…remember the honey-maker who always wandered in the flower fields?"_

_Nozomi gave a blank look, but Hikari knew instantly._

"_Yea! He's really nice…" Hikari burst out. "He knew all that symbol stuff?"_

"_Yep," Kengo said proudly. "And he told me about them while I had helped him gather honey once. Lively conversationalist when it comes to flowery poetry."_

"_Wow, that's really cool!" Nozomi and Hikari exclaimed together; their eyes shone with new respect for the boy._

_Meanwhile, Kengo just tried to be modest. A few minutes passed as the three kept browsing the flower shop._

"_Hey Kengo, can you tell me what these flowers are supposed to represent?" Hikari suddenly said; she ran to where Kengo was to show him her basket._

_Kengo glanced for a few seconds, seemed a little surprised, but began to talk._

"_Hm…you have an interesting bunch," Kengo commented. "Red poppy for consolation, blue violets for faithfulness…and hey, are those forget-me-nots? Hm, I seemd to have forgotten its meaning…other than the obvious-"_

"_Oh that one? I know!" Nozomi suddenly popped in, grinning to know something Kengo was unfamiliar with._

_Now between the two trainers, Nozomi plucked a sprig of the blue blossoms from Hikari's basket and admired its color as she spoke._

"_Forget-Me-Not…they mean remembrance, but I remember my mother saying they are true symbols of true love."_

_Hikari looked wonderingly at Nozomi, "What?"_

"_True love…as in…even though you move on, have other crushes, marry somebody you sort of like…it is to claim undying faith and love to a special someone no matter how far away physically and emotionally you are to them," Nozomi said, still holding the flower._

_There was silence as the words sunk in._

_Then…Hikari smiled._

"_I see."_

Hikari first dropped the red poppies to the ground. They looked like red drops of blood though blurred, teary eyes.

They were her consolations for having to be alone.

"_Hikari…" a voice barely above a whisper murmured. "Please…"_

The blue violets came next, quenching the blood with blue.

Hikari would always be faithful to Shinji…although she may find others.

"_Shinji's wallet?!" Hikari gasped; suddenly she fell into tears, dropping the wallet…_

Although she had let go of the other flowers easily, the forget-me-nots seemed to have a power over her hands. Hikari's fingers did not release them…

"_Somethin' I thou' you'd like," Shinny muttered before running off; despite his attempt to hide a childish blush, Hikari noticed and smiled…_

_Dried up and broken, a pressed forget-me-not flower reflected Hikari's tearful eyes…_

"_Forget-Me-Not…they mean remembrance, but I remember my mother saying they are true symbols of true love."_

Eventually, Hikari knelt in front of the grave, and carefully placed all but one of the forget-me-nots on top of the other flowers. The remaining blossom, she stowed it into her purse.

If true love was what Shinji had carried around him all this time; Hikari would do the same too.

"I hope you are good, Shinji. I'll visit you here next time…okay?"

Hikari smiled quietly, one hand brushing the gravestone respectfully. As she got up to leave, a breeze touched her cheek.

"He" seemed to understand.

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-TBC-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_  
Sorry girls, Shinji's gone for good…but not in Hikari's mind. So those who wanted to kill me can't! Actually they might just bite me to death…OO"

Anyway, I HATE those fics where they magically revive loved ones for the sake of whatever. Some are really good, and I like them...but meh. It won't be a tragedy if people kept coming back to life! Hm…notes!

Kenji: I wanted to be consistent with the Japanese name use and looked up Tracey's name…and that's what he is.

Flowers: Didya think I just named random flowers to distract you? Not really. The flowers I listed as fall flowers DO bloom in fall. Also, the random flowers that come up…they symbolize things (their meanings were googled). To name a few…Purple Lilac is First Love; Geranium is Melancholy. And I did specifically mention symbolism of the other flowers later on.

The Epitaph: Quote by Rodney Yee.

Visiting: I WILL SAY THIS TO THE READER TO CLEAR UP A SPECULATION YOU MAY HAVE. Read my lips. HIKARI. WILL. NOT. COMMIT. SUICIDE. IN. THE. NEXT. CHAPTER. As much as that would seem to be the obvious choice, I got a better ending than that…I think.


	4. Enduring Love

As this quartet comes to a close, I want to say THANK YOU for your tremendous support for the fanfic

As this quartet comes to a close, I want to say THANK YOU for your tremendous support for the fanfic. Although reviewers have wrangled me for killing Shinji, many were positive and really nice. After this, I think I'll give my Contestshipping fic Fleur de Mai some loving…(please read/review it!)

And yes, school kills my creativity. Apologies for the giant delay!

This ending is based on Earthy Joys, a book you MUST read. Although there is some homosexuality in the aforementioned novel, it's a really beautiful and (mostly) clean novel.

**Warning: **Character death, extreme sap. Tissues are advised? Heck why not.

**Forget Me Not**

"_Legend has it that in medieval times, a knight and his lady were walking along the side of a river. He picked a posy of flowers, but because of the weight of his armour he fell into the river. As he was drowning he threw the posy to his loved one and shouted 'Forget-me-not'. This is a flower connected with romance and tragic fate. It was often worn by ladies as a sign of faithfulness and enduring love." – A Wikipedia Article_

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-Enduring Love-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'**_

"You are a strange human being," a melodic voice commented in the clouds, "and it's not because you visit this place often."

Pink bangs rustled lightly against a negligible breeze as the seemingly young girl took a glance over Twinleaf Town. But the child had aged eyes – yellow pupils that indicated wisdom, experience, and a thousand other emotions it had experienced over centuries.

Mespirit certainly enjoyed being in a human form, especially when she found a suitable companion to converse with. Invisible to any curious passerby, the two were now enjoying a nice day. Floating leisurely in the air, they now were watching the aforementioned town.

"Why do you care?" the other muttered back in a gruff voice. "I don't know you THAT well-"

"Actually," Mespirit murmured back, resting her chin on her gray-sleeved arms. "Azelf had watched over you since you were a child, and told me interesting things…some of which are contradictory from the ones I have seen. You…are quite different from the cold-hearted person Azelf had described."

"Hmph."

There was a defiant silence. Mespirit knew the male companion meant to intimidate with that quiet, but the Pokemon/girl could care less; she was more curious about this person's soul than his personality.

"You know, I never asked you this but…you're dead. Why wander when you can rest in peace…there?"

Mespirit made a vague gesture toward the heavens as she spoke.

"You know I can't make you come back…"

"Do you think I did not know this before?" the boy figure shouted suddenly, his face darkening with anger. "Do you think all this time that I just came to have a lovely time being dead, alone, and in pain? You are the god of emotion! You should know how I feel!"

Another silence broke the frustration. The male, now spent, just looked away. He did not want Mespirit to see his tears.

The Pokemon/girl took this outburst calmly, but was inwardly alarmed. She comfortingly patted him, trying to stop his muffled sobs.

"I apologize. I just wanted to know…"

There was an awkward quiet as the boy calmed down. It was hard for him, this…limbo between living and death. After his living self had died, he had refused to go on. He had an obligation, a promise he had made to himself…

…That he would always, ALWAYS be next to the one he cared. And he had kept it, for more than sixty years.

"Mespirit…" a tiny plead issued from his mouth at last.

"Yes?" a careful inquiry this time.

"I…I come here to wait. My time already had come before, but…I need to leave with her. I cannot go alone."

Mespirit raised her eyebrow in interest.

"Why not?"

The boy took a minute to formulate the right words before answering.

"…Too many times I have forsaken her. It's the least I can do," he looked away again.

"But…she's married. With children. She even has grandchildren! How do you know she remembers?" Mespirit suddenly said, before closing her mouth to prevent the other companion from being emotionally damaged. "Oh! I'm sorr-"

"No, you don't have to be," the boy interrupted her. "But you're wrong. I know her."

He then rummaged through his pocket and took out his wallet to reveal a small little blossom.

Despite his being a dead, wandering spirit, the flower seemed alive…vibrant. Mespirit gasped in admiration, staring at the little blue forget-me-not.

"Is that her..??"

"Yes, " Shinji replied quietly, a tinge of triumph and sadness in his voice. "She still thinks about me."

--**Meanwhile**--

"Strange how years can go by so fast," Hikari mused.

It was a lovely sunny day, just as beautiful as yesterday. Twinleaf Town arguably had the best weather.

Usually she'd have been in the kitchen, drinking in both her tea and the familiar surroundings that comforted her every morning. But for the last few days, she had been confined to bed, only because her children were too worried about her collapsing from exhaustion or something equally silly. They visited every day so she was well cared for too, much to Hikari's annoyance.

But she could not dissuade them; children had their ways to thwart the wishes of a badgered old mother. Her gray head soon lay back on the pillow in resignation.

"Hopefully someone would bring me breakfast," she thought suddenly…how strange was it to think of that when other more important things were at hand?

Closing her eyes, she soon started to recall that fateful day…

"_Doctor, I am sure her sudden faintness was from old age."_

_Hikari barely remembered her defensive son talking to the doctor about her condition. It was surprising, really. One moment she was up and healthy; then she found herself on the floor, hardly able to breathe…_

"_No…I am sorry sir…it's not that. It's…worse."_

_Hikari was propped very comfortably in a wheelchair next to her very much grown-up child – he had just been engaged three days ago! – who now stared at the various charts and scans the doctor had procured from the file cabinet._

"_You see, the heart is protected from outside elements by an epicardium…it's a layer of tissue that can, if damaged or torn, damage heart tissue. Ultimately… "_

_Hikari's son looked pale, but he managed to talk in a cracked voice._

"_Yes?"_

"…_to heart failure. Simply, she's dying from Broken-Heart Syndrome. Was there any past trauma she had experienced?"_

_Her son did not know of any…_

Hikari quietly opened her eyes again; sunlight streamed into the windowsill. Kricketots chirped in the distance.

Strange. She should have known all along that her past would affect her like this. Even though many of the specifics had faded away in time, the impression it had made was apparently…there.

BOOM. CRASH.

"Wahh!! Stop being mean to me, 'thupid!" a girly voice whined incessantly.

"Shaddup, silly. Can't ya be quiet in my granny's house? She's…she's…allyin'."

"It's A-I-L-I-N-G, thick'ead! YOU'RE the silly one, silly!"

Hikari sweat-dropped slightly when she heard the bantering of two kids. But eventually she smiled; she loved both of them dearly.

Wham. The door flew open as two little children ran into the room: one was her grandson, and the other...she was the daughter whose family has been Hikari's next-door neighbors. Because the poor girl only had her parent's Pokémon as her companions at home, she'd often be eager to play whenever Hikari's grandchildren came over.

Now this particular grandson…he was a strange kid. And Hikari loved him dearly due to his uniqueness. Despite his boyish toughness and often extreme harshness to strangers and Pokémon alike, he had a certain softness that Hikari thought was the most endearing.

"Hi, granny! Sorry we made tha' noise…" the grandson said somewhat sheepishly; then he glared at the girl. "She didn' lissen to me when I SAID-"

"OH I DID, STUPID!" the girl retorted fiercely. "You made fun of me so I yelled!"

"Shaddup!"

There was a brief scuffle between the two before Hikari intervened.

"Darlings, if you two are going to fight, can you at least do it outside?" Hikari said sternly, feigning a tired pose to make her point clear. "And why are you even here, if you are going to-"

"Oh righ'….Granny. Mom tol' us you wanna keep dis stuff. So we picked-"

"Flowers!" the girl chirped in, much to the grandson's annoyance.

Soon Hikari saw a sea of vibrant blue. From the girl's apron pockets spilled a bunch of forget-me-nots, the ones that Hikari had grown in the garden. She had not attended the place for days…

"It's pretty, and hope you like dem!" the girl said happily as she gave the grandson a triumphant look. "Betcha she'd be betta now with the flowers!"

"Bah, that's 'thupid," the boy snorted in disbelief

Hearing the remark, the girl's face began to turn red in anger again…

But heavy footsteps were heard downstairs.

"June, where are you?!" a slightly worried man's voice was heard downstairs. "I told you that you have to do the chores before playing with your friends!"

Soon June forgot about her anger with the boy. With quick but unsteady strides, she ran downstairs. The little girl was so occupied that she even forgot to say bye.

The grandson looked at the doorway where June last stood. Then he plopped on a nearby chair, his face frowning slightly.

Hikari then took a good look at her grandson, who wore a large black t-shirt with similarly hued sweatpants. Disheveled dark-blue hair hid much of his face, which almost always looked fierce...passioante. That itself was not surprising: he loved looking at battles and hated to lose to anything.

But the most distinguishing feature was his eyes. Out of all the children and grandchildren she brought into the world, no one except him had the same striking shade of blue eyes.

Suddenly Hikari's reverie was soon broken by the boy's loud musings.

"Girls are silly, granny," he finally said, as if that was the most important revelation he had made in his life. "Why are all girls so angry and prissy and crybabies?"

Hikari chuckled at the boy.

"Well, not all girls are like that dear. Or maybe you're being too mean to them."

The grandson looked back at his grandmother in disbelief: "But granny! Girls like ponytas and cute stuff! June allaways blabbers 'bout that stuff. I hate-"

He suddenly paused. "Um…"

"What is it now?" Hikari asked.

"I dunno…stop askin'!" the boy said in frustration, his face turning red.

"Hm…are you telling me you like her?"

"No! No! Girls are icky!" the boy turned even redder. "June is the icki….ickest!"

Hikari laughed softly. Because of her condition, she was careful not to laugh too hard.

"Okay. But if you want me to keep a secret, I'm always here."

The grandson looked up at her expectantly.

"Okay!"

Soon he jumped off the chair.

"I'mma go see June, granny. Gonna be back!"

Closing the door behind him, he dashed off. His footsteps echoed in the stairs.

Hikari soon began to shift around in her bed a bit, just so she could take a better look at the spilled forget-me-not blossoms on the sheets. She delicately gathered them in her old hands and just held them close to her face…

Suddenly her cheeks felt wet. Tears were flowing at the sight of these flowers.

How long has it been? How was she able to cope so well? She felt so guilty…

Suddenly she heard faint echoes from the doorway. Alarmed, she let her eyes slowly look in that direction…

Hikari then gasped. The image before her was too fantastic to be true…yet it seemed so real.

The door had opened a bit, but instead of seeing who had come from the doorway, her eyes gazed a little upward…and before her were the same confident smile that she imagined, the same fierce eyes in her faraway dreams. There was no malice in his expressions…only pure and unfiltered relief and joy.

"Shinji!" Hikari called softly.

She soon felt her tired, old limbs become new…her wrinkled skin become smooth and young. She was a teenager again, when her dreams were still dreams and everything was possible. Now rejuvenated, she got up from the bed and reached out to the one she really had loved.

"You…you…you at last!"

"Granny?"

The grandson had come back into Hikari's bedroom, just so he could tell her about his secrets. But instead of hearing his grandmother's familiar voice, all was silent.

"Granny…did you call my name? Granny!"

Shinji (the grandson) finally reached the bedside, only to recoil at the sight he saw.

The blossoms were scattered all over the place, as if an unseen whirlwind had swept them around. In the middle of it all, however, lay Hikari's still body…with her face smiling at the sight of her true love.

_**'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-Fin-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'-.-'  
**_  
Hope that was a fitting ending. Sorry animeflash, I killed another character!! (At least they are together at last.) Now excuse me, I gotta hide from a barrage of berries and throw-able objects…

Here are the notes before I have to start running!

Mespirit Human-Form: I always thought these Sinnoh "gods" had that ability. Hell, that genderless Pokemon looks female to me.

Shinji the First: I wanted to delay the revealing of his name in the first blurb because it would be more interesting. And no, Mespirit is not hitting on him. She is just helping him cope…and she takes care of Twinleaf people. Azelf does a double-duty with Velistone and Pastoria…but he probably concentrates more on the former xD

Shini the Second: I wanted to delay the revealing of the grandson's name, for the same reason stated above. BTW he doesn't necessarily look like the actual Shinji. But his crush…she's definitely similar to Hikari. (I may have overdone the cute-ness factor…)

Also, I was careful not to make up names of the various OCs in the chapter…because I don't like OCs in fanfics! (I use them during the most desperate times.)


End file.
